In Denmark 25,000 small pigs die everyday, but it was the killing of a young male giraffe named Marius that caught the international attention. The killing also reveals the fine line between science and emotions, nature and culture and, yet again, the potential of the internet to quickly turn local events into global discussions.

Skills from human and social science are asked for because they produce value. Export companies ask for students with language skills and cultural knowledge, consulting companies ask for project managers with great communication skills, food producers hire cultural analysts that understand consumerism.